Counter Guardians
by Rantai Bintang
Summary: In many times and many worlds, there are people who make a pact with the 'World'. After those pact, they become a part of world's system after they die. But, their mind aren't died. It's exist and intact. This is a tale about Alaya, the 'World' system born from human mind, and Counter Guardian, the mankind safety system. At the edge of their role, what await for them? Perfectly AU.
1. Prologue

Counter Guardian

Prologue

The Heart of Alaya

**Disclaimer : I own NOTHING. Fate (series) material is not mine. It's just a FREE entertainment.**

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This place is a picture of war. No, massacre is the better term for it. Building collapsed, ground cracked, plants burned, blood splashed, the scent in the air is one who can make human disgust. Most human will probably sick when they smell it. No, they must be fainted. It is not something human can handle.

And in that picture, I am walking. I am walking in the middle of collapsed home, cracked ground, burned plant, and red land. The ground colored in red, the red of blood. Yet, even so, I see no human body in this city. I see no one, nor dead or alive, nor whole or pieces. But I can sense it, I can feel it. Their mission are completed and no one alive in this vicinity. So, where are the bodies go?

"Hey boss what are you doing here?"

One of my employees shouts at me. His word is rude, but still acceptable. He must be shocks. I almost never go to the field. I will only come to the field on some special occasion. It's not my playground, he may say so.

"I just come to see. What? You are unhappy about it?"

"Wha- of course not, boss. You are the boss, do what you want. We have the deal remember?"

"Glad you are know, Elvis."

He, Elvis Preasley, just throw up his hands when he hear my words. Elvis is one of my employees, I gave him one wish and his soul is bound to me. He can't say no to me because I am his owner. Still, I always think that Elvis wish is kind of unique in his time at least. Well, nowadays many people wish for the same thing like him.

"Where are the bodies?"

I look at him and ask for certain. It doesn't feel right to not see human body after a genocide.

"Just go straight and you'll see Emiya."

He is pointing to the way I was walking till I am facing him. I look at it. True, the scent of death is thicker there. But, there is something in his words that doesn't sound right to me.

"I didn't look for Emiya."

I never say that I was looking at Emiya. Well, it's true that I want to see him, but I never said it.

"Well, Emiya is with the bodies, like always. Just use him as landmark or tombstone. Geez, that person always pile our workload. Haah. But, It's weird huh? Why did he bother to do something like that when he is the one who killed them."

I see Elvis straight at the eyes. Of course I always know what my employees do. I am the one who employing them after all. But, his word doesn't humor me at all.

"Wow boss, please don't give me that glare. You know right that sometime you are really, really, scary, just like now. And you look absolutely more, better, in your usual face. So please, don't give me that look!"

I don't understand what he is saying. I am only looking at him, just like before, just like always. So why did he even afraid of me. There is no ground for his word.

"Ok, that is better."

The tense in his face is gone. I don't understand why he afraid, or relaxed. No, maybe I know why. It's just hard to decipher. I know, yet I don't understand.

"I'll go look for Emiya. You stand on guard."

I turn away and start walking. The rockstar only shrug and give some kind of acknowledgement. I am walking straight, there is nothing to say to him.

The road in front of me is broken. Some part of it is lifted and another part is shattered into crater. It's not an easy road, but it doesn't really matter to me.

I am looking around, building, vehicle, table, glass, there are many things here. But there is nothing alive. Plants shattered, animal slayed, human… well I can't see them anywhere, but they must be dead by now. That one is certain. It's our regulation to keep everything shut in. And so, there is nothing alive in this town. Or so I thought.

In the corner my eyes, I see something green, something which belong to live, something which belong to earth. I walk to it. I crouch and stare at it.

Green in the middle of grey, live in the middle of death, hope in the middle of despair, somehow it's really sounds poetic. If I am a poet maybe I will write a poem right here, right away. But unfortunately I am not a poet. I can write poem in any human perception. But, if I do it like that, it will never be my poem.

"Well, what are you doing here boss? Fancy of flower? I don't know that you are a romantic."

I hear a voice from my back, a woman voice, a familiar woman voice. Her voice is sweet. Every man must be enchanted by it when they hear it. Unfortunately to her, and fortunately to me, I am not a man.

"Dare, do you need anything? I believe your work has been done nicely. What business do you have here?" I ask her.

Virginia Dare is a nice girl and a good woman. She had been a good wife, friend, and mother in her lifetime. She never once regrets the deal with me. She said that if she doesn't make that deal, she never life at full.

Her deal is a simple one, one which is most common in my deal list. 'Save me.' Her word that time always resounds in my ears when she speaks. You can say that she is one of my few favorites. She is a bundle of possibilities. She is always growing, still growing even after her death. Even though she is not 'combat-type', she is one of my precious employee.

"Well, my work has been done. But our works isn't done, is it? It probably can be solved faster if that red guy doesn't be so hypocrite and do all 'useless' things. But I can't really blame him, I simply can't."

She looks sad, gloomy. Her face is clouded and her tone is off. She maybe just reacts to some kind of hormone, well she may be not a teenager, but she is still a woman. Whether it's good or bad, hormones really take toll on woman.

But then again, she doesn't really have a physical body. So how did it happen?

"Do you like him?"

Once again, a concept that I know but unable to comprehend. Still, it's the best concept that fit her situation right now.

"What?"

Looks like she didn't hear what I said. I stand and look at her. I need eye contact to make my point clearer.

"I ask you, do you like Shirou Emiya?"

I repeat myself. This way she must be understands what I am talking about.

"Now, that's a sudden question. Why do you ask it?"

She dodges it. It is true after all.

"I'll answer your question after you answer mine."

She looks at my eyes. There is hostile in her eyes. One more evidence to count.

She sighed before answer me. "I don't know, to be truth I don't really understand. He is a good man, no, maybe the best man I ever met. But, if you ask me, do I love him or not? There is nothing I can give to humor you."

She looks at me, and there is regret in her gaze.

"Well, if we have physical body. I sure will chase him. He must be very good at bed."

She gives me a lust look, but I know that that look is false, façade. She is not an easy woman. In her life time, she gives her everything to her husband, a native people. She never really know any other man. Well, she married at fifteen after all. Not it really matter to me.

I crouch again and stare at the life. It's a simple flower, the kind which common to life in this places of continent.

"So, why do you interest in my love affair boss?"

Virginia asks me. I stay silent for a while, just wordlessly looking at the life in front of me. Virginian Dare is a patient woman.

I grab the flower and stand. Pulling it out to the root, and now he is death, die in a hand other than him. I clap my hand, something that I do because of reflex.

I turn around and look at Virginia. There is disappointment in her eyes. I wonder why.

"It's because you are my employee. To make sure all employees's emotion to be stable is my job, and lately his emotion is not stable at all. You may able to change it."

She is silent. There is something in her eyes. Is that confuse, or amazement? Looks like the mix of both. Either way, my business here with her is done. I walk to my true purpose. He must be still in his place. What he does is not an easy task, but I don't blame him. Our time table is loose after all. The next time he deploys maybe the next one or two decade.

After I walk a significant distance I turn around and look at for Dare. There is something I forgot to say. Fortunately, she is still in my eye-sight.

"Dare, there is something I forget to tell you."

I talk to her, simply talking to her. She is turning around and facing me. It makes our conversation easier.

"What is it boss?"

She is shouting, our distances simply make sound travel harder.

"If you can make Shirou Emiya yours, I'll let you stay in one chamber."

I state my intention. I don't need to speak loud, no matter how far it is she can hear my voice if I want.

"You must be kidding right?"

It's not weird to her to think like that. I never do something like that before, and maybe will never do it again. But I believe that it's a necessary pact. He is a valuable item after all.

"I am not. So make sure you make him yours, second to mine of course. For the time being, I'll connect your camber with his so that you can contact him easier."

"Yeah boss, sure. But what the point we are not human anymore."

Is she angry? Is she forgets who am I?

"Virginia, do you really think that I can't reproduce that kind of sensation?"

With that said, I am walking away from her, letting her swimming in her own mind. There is nothing that I need to say. Everything had been made clear. I need him, and she will make it's easier for him to fight in the future. She can put Shirou at ease.

-Interlude-

My walk to his place can be considered as a long walk. Its distance is thrice from my walk to Virginia Dare from border. The thing that I see in my way is not interesting at all. Only the repeatance of death. Death, death, death, that is the only thing that I see. And there is nothing attractive in death.

There is no life in this place. In the midway, not too far from Dare, I see a corpse. A dog which lost his halve, lies in the middle of street. That dog didn't die in peace, fear is clearly draw in his face. I don't know whether he is afraid of death or his killer. That is not my business.

From there on I see more corpses in my way, animal corpses, dogs, birds, cats, and any other domestic animal. After I reach eight tenth of my way, I start seeing human corpses, man, woman, children, everyone whom has been removed from my system. Their corpses are laying in the ground. Just like a doll which cut from their string.

"What are you doing here?"

Some voice is calling me from my back, a man voice, a very familiar man voice. His voice is coat with disgust and hatred. I am not surprised with his reaction. His hatred to me has been keep for almost seventy years. And those hatreds are never once weaken, never once. In fact, they grow stronger, day by day, mission by mission.

"I came to see."

He is staring at me with hatred, a very deep hatred. Between my employees, he is the only one who looks at me with that kind of hatred. Most hatred of my employees will grow weaker in years count, one or maybe two, the longest one beside him is a decade. He is the only one who keeps heating me, and I believe that hatred will never go away even after millennia.

"Do what you want."

He is passing me, carrying some kind of lump in his shoulder. I look at those lumps, those are human corpses, corpse of an old man and a teenage girl which probably his granddaughter. Useless thing yet I can bring myself to blame him. Virginia is right, I can't blame or angry at him. Even Elvis, the most impatience person between them, don't say anything when he does that. I am tailing him in silent, trying to not disturb him.

We arrive at our destination, the Ground Zero of this city. And now, that ground zero has become mass grave of this city's people. Dozens, or maybe hundreds, of soil pile act as their last bed. Those people must be laugh when they know that the one who make their cemetery is the very devil who kills them. Well, that will serve as their last comedy.

The ground zero of this city is place near a park. That park is a small one, so Shirou has to blow up the nearest building to make some space for more people. Of course, he has removed all corpses in the building first.

He is standing in front of the last pile which he dug. Carefully place the dead body near it, he trace a shovel and start digs the land. Okay, that can be counted as useless thing. Why did he bother shoveling the ground when he can just use his sword to make a crater? Human. I decide to ask him.

"Why bother dig it with shovel? You can dig faster with your swords."

I ask him, but he keep dig his hole. Second pass, minutes pass, when he already finish the hole for the old man he start digging for the teenage girl. Looks like I will never get any answer from him. I should ask Elvis later.

Shirou Emiya keeps digging the hole. He ignores my existence in this world. There is nothing trivial that I can get from him this time. I should get the thing that I really want.

"Shirou-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT."

He snaps. He let go his shovel and let it disperse in the air. He glares at me with all of his hatred, a cold bloody glare. For a long time I know that his hatred is not like a fire. It's more like an ice.

"Emiya, why are you doing all this?"

I ask him the thing that I want to know. He was start digging a grave for all his victims after his second appointment. It's not a problem, but I want to know why he does all of this.

"Why even bother."

He pushes away my question. I should go further if I want to get my answer.

"Shirou Emiya, I demand you. Answer me, why are you doing all of this?"

He clicked his tongue. He can't ignore my order. Because he is mine, his bargain for power is already made for exchange of his soul. Even if it against his will, I can bind him to my will.

"Because that is the least thing that I can do for them." He answers me with disgust. "They may be evil, they may be disgusting, but they are still a human. Burial is everyone right. Whether it's a villain or a hero."

I look at him. Such a simple answers, is that really the only reasoning he has. I am not certain whether it's the only truth or not. And why did I am asking myself. I have uses my authority to do it. Whatever the reasons he gave, it must be the full truth.

I look at him, there is something he want to say to me.

"Alaya, what are you looking?"

Why he asking that?

"Nothing."

Yes, from the first time there is no such thing which I am looking here. From the first time I already know what is Shirou Emiya thinking. I only come here in a whim to state my curiosity. After all, I am the collective consciousness of human being.

"Alaya, why are even you looking?"

Why is he asking that? I already said that I am looking for nothing. Or, did he ask why I am looking when I already know the answer. Didn't I already said-

"I am not looking."

He stares at me. His gaze is more subtle this time. Feel that there is nothing to say, I turn around and start walking.

"Alaya, you may be the collective consciousness of human being. But mark what I said "You will never become a human being." That is why, you will never grow."

Of course I will never grow, I already complete.

He is back to his task, digging grave for his own victims. At distances I feel a presence, a familiar presence. Ah yes, that remind me. I forgot to say something to him.

"Emiya, Virginia Dare is talking to me that she wants to become your wife and I already grand my permission. You may disbelief me, but you shouldn't disbelief her. You are maybe my counter guardian, but I never thought you as my tool. Her wish is sincere, you must consider her as fellow human being, not as fellow guardian when she talks to you."

"Is that an order?"

Cynical as always.

"No, it is not. Just remember that she is woman. Treat her as woman when she talks to you. You won't disappoint any woman again don't you?"

I glance back and look at him. He is weak at woman.

"Tch, You."

I am start walking, there is nothing more for me to say.

-Interlude-

I am looking for Elvis, there is one last thing that I need to know.

Elvis is waiting for Shirou particular 'task' to end in the border of their parameter. It's roughly three kilometer from city's border. The city is surrounded by forest, so it's not a hard task. It's a long walk so I am warping.

Elvis is sitting on a tree root. Holding his guitar, he plays his old song. He looks happy with his guitar, something that I will never understand.

"Elvis."

I call to him. He is too stunned by his own song to hear me come.

"Hey boss, what's up?"

Easy going as always.

"There is something I want to ask you."

We don't need any chit-chat. I better finish what I want from him, faster better.

"Hmm, go ahead. Ask anything, I will answer as long as I can answer it."

He puts away his guitar and standing. Dust off his pants, he waits for me to state my question.

"Why did Emiya use shovel to dig the grave?"

He gives me a confuse look, and then start laughing.

"Hahaha, boss you sure ask something weird."

I honestly don't understand what he is talking about. After stop laughing he talk to me.

"Okay, so you ask why did Emiya use his shovel not his swords to dig the hole? Hehehe, you sure are asking a weird thing when it come to Emiya.

Well, consider it as the same when I use my voice to sing not my 'ability'. I can use my ability to sing just like an angel, but I never use my ability outside my assignment. You get it, right?"

"So, he doesn't want to use his power in other thing than job?"

I see, that is understandable. His power is not something that used for something petty like that. He may not have pride in his swords, but he is not a person who uses a gold toothpick to clear his tooth when he has a wood one.

"No boss, it's not like that?"

What?

"Basically it's a self-satisfaction. Simply said, he enjoys digging his victims hole while believing that he does something right. He feels some kind of satisfaction when he digs it with shovel. What the joy doing what you like fast, when you can stay long?

He maybe never admits it but he also doing it for his own sakes. Heck, he may say something like, "I am doing it for them." He is unconsciously lying to himself. But just let him doing it, or otherwise he will broken down. Heck, he is already broke enough. Don't make him broke anymore."

I keep silent, thinking about what he says. Self-satisfaction, human. After all the brag about his ideal, in the end he just a petty human who only thing about himself. Then again, this is just Elvis's perspective. Human are petty. Their minds are never the same. It's always changing depend on many factor.

Human mind are petty, yet those very mind that shapes me.

I begin walking deep into the forest. There is no other reason for me to be here. I'll go back after taking a stroll at this forest.

"Back already boss? Doesn't want to see the fireworks?"

Fireworks? What an intriguing code.

"No, in the end there is no point for me to see it. Just don't forget to follow the protocol.

"Okkey-Dokkey."

The protocol, after Shirou done with his particular tasks, they will execute the protocol and leave the earth back to Chamber of Guardian to their own room. Hem, did I forget something. Ah yeah, Emiya and Virginia.

"Hey Elvis I want you to do a job for me."

Elvis is turning around and looking at me.

"Boss, I am still in guard. If you want to do something in the opposite of the globe, please ask other guardian."

He give me a disappoint look. Human.

"That's not it." I make a throwing gesture to him and something is thrown to him from my hand. It's already exist in the middle of my gesture. "If Shirou and Virginia come back while holding hand, give it to them. If they are not, just throw it away. It will disperse by itself."

"Eh, I don't know you can do magic like Shirou. So, what is it inside here?"

Of course it's not like Shirou's magecraft. I make something, but Shirou is copying something. That is different.

"Their wedding ring."

If they really want to live in the same chamber they will need it. While I can easily connect their room, they will need some sign of bond to live together. It's also served as the recreation of their physical sensation. They will need it.

"Oh, Their wedding-, Their-WHAT?"

I walk away and let him whining by himself. Human are so troublesome, don't drag me in your personal problem!

-To Be Continued-

Firstly, I want to thanks Convergence-Eternal. Because without his encouragement I will not write this. You can call me petty, but I really am petty.

Secondly, that's all.

I hope I can continue write Counter Guardian.

Review please. TeeHee.

2nd installment.

Thirdly, if you know other works about Counter Guardian please tell me, also if you have suggestion about any other counter guardian, point it out to me and tell me why he can become the counter guardian. Just between you and me, I believe that counter guardian member is between one and two hundreds. I don't know the exact point. But it's impossible to me to make all those guardians.

Also, I want to state it again to make it solid. **THIS IS A COMPLETE AU.**


	2. First Chapter

Counter Guardians

First Chapter

Fifth Assignment (One)

**Disclaimer : I own NOTHING. Fate (series) material is not MINE. You may consider AU setting as mine, up to you. It's Just a FREE Entertainment.  
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I wake up. This statement is wrong, but that is the only phrase that able to describe my condition. I don't have a human body, so I don't need to sleep anymore. 'Sleep' for me now is happens like coma. A condition when I shut down myself from any noises from outer world, a black out condition.

I materialize my body and let my chamber shape into the most familiar shape for me, the dojo in my old home. Standing in the middle of it always make me remember the time when I trained kendo with Fuji-nee and Saber, Fuji nee with her Japanese sword style and Saber with her own knight style. I always feel at ease here, even though it's just a fake realm, the sensation is still the same.

I trace one of my swords, a long Japanese sword about 1.5 meters long. This sword is used by Assassin at Fifth Holy Grail War. This sword is not a Noble Phantasm, it is just a mundane sword. But its value lies in the experience of its holder. Held by Assassins, it has reach feat in par with a Noble Phantasm. Saber herself is almost dies when facing him. If I doesn't use my command seal to strengthen her, she must be loses.

I have practice using many kind of my traced weapon in past few decades. Clarent, Nine Lives Blade Works, and now I practice with Assassin's Sword. I can't use them as good as their original user but I can use them good enough in the battlefield. Of course I still practice with Kansho and Bakuya, but their technique is already at their peak. There is no room for improvement. The only reason I still practice with them is because I don't want my movement become dull.

I recall the memories of its user, Sasaki Kojiro. No, that is wrong. Assassins himself is introducing himself as Sasaki Kojiro. But after taking a peak on this sword, I know that he lies. He is just a nameless swordsman with too much time to spend. He ends up using all his entire lifetime to try to cut a swallow, truly a man with too much free time. But his feat cannot be denied, he is the strongest swordsman I know in my lifetime.

I sigh and throw my thought away. Standing in this room always makes me remind my old live. A bad old habit.

Straightening my Kata, I follow through Assassin's memories. It takes almost his entire life to perfect his sword style to be equal to a Noble Phantasm. Bluntly speaking it's impossible for me to do what he does. But at least I can get half of his technique and that is good enough for me.

-Interlude-

Time passes. Two years has pass since the first time I work with Assassin's sword. It has a hard technique and my body is not builds for it. I can somehow alter my own body to match it, but it is inefficient in battlefield. So somehow I have to adjust it to my own build.

I gasped. My heart suddenly beat faster, my sight is blurs, my hearing hazy, and my body trembles. Shit, he should warn me if there is one to come. No matter how many times I have feel it, I will never get use to this sensation. Assimilation, what a fool concept.

Assimilation is one of Alaya way to make his guardian stronger. The theory is simple. When my other self die in another timeline, he will either kills 'my' personality and assimilates 'my' ability to me or he will makes an exact copy and assimilates it to me. Alaya himself prefer to kill my other personalities. He is a sadist.

"Emiya."

Speaks of the devil.

"What."

I snapped. I don't really want to be disturbed now. Not after an assimilation process. Usually I need a day or two to be as health as normal. Not my body, but my soul.

"You have an assignment."

Doesn't he realize that I am not okay now.

"Ask someone else."

I am not in a good condition for assignment. Why the heck he asks me for it?

"It's fine. Preparation will complete in a week, you shall back to normal in that timeframe."

So there is no escape, huh?

"Fine, bring me there!"

My Chamber crumble and my physical body dissolve into particles. Only my consciousness that remains intact. I was transferred. Everything move so faster to me, just like a distorted image of past and future of mankind. Which timeline will I go? Which parallel world will welcome me? Which city will I destroy? Which human will I killed? Thinking about it always pisses me off.

-Interlude-

I, Virginia Dare, am often given an assignment. It's not a troublesome, really. My assignment is not a bad one. Besides, there is no good or bad in a job.

I am a supporter. So my place in field usually is in the backside of other people. I don't hate it, really. Why should I hate people who take me lightly and think that I am weak. I shall not hate it right? It's a grace after all. It's grace that I don't need to worry about being hurt. Woman is weak, that's what they say. Old fashioned.

Old fashioned man, sure I hate that kind of people. I know that they mean no harm. But they too should know that women are strong. Well, at least I know that in this mission I will be paired with modern day man.

Elvis Preasley and Shirou Emiya.

Elvis is a rockstars in his lifetime. He is famous, very, very, famous. Alaya said that his wish is to make him famous, so he makes him as a King of Rock. Exaggerate name if I must say.

He himself doesn't think that women are weak. But he only thinks of them as sperm-dump. Well it's fine as long as he takes his frustration to some whore. And yeah, after his life as counter guardian he is become more subtle. We can't have sex after all. And there is also Emiya Shirou.

Unlike Elvis, Shirou Emiya, or just Emiya-he dislike to be called by his full name- trauma I suppose, is a normal person. Born in Japan around 1984 he live his life with his adoptive father after his previous life burnt in fire that cause by a magic ritual called Heaven's Feel, a magic ritual to call forth Holy Grail, the wish granting system, to this world. A fool ritual I think. Most of magi in this world are too preoccupied by Akasha Record, thus their way of thinking become so much simple. I don't know much about his life afterward, but I will ask about it in the next occasion.

As a human, Shirou Emiya is a good person, warm hearth, true to himself, hard to give up, and a nice gentleman. He lies, but he never like those act. Last resort he says. He is distorted but that is fine. There no such thing as normal in this world. One and one is always different, there is nothing that same by exact point in this world. Even just by a small detail, one can be differ from other. There is no need to dissociate him from the world just because he is unique.

As a man, he can be counted as a gentleman. He knew that woman is strong. He even says that all the woman he knows is stronger than him. So that's why, whenever Shirou and I given the same assignment I always at the front line as his support. Even so, he himself always tries to protect me from any harm. Really, I can't wait to work with him again.

Is it love? I wonder. It must be.

I nod while smirking happily.

There is a distortion in space, sign that someone is coming. I waiting eagerly, waiting for him. After the distortion is calm down, someone in white cloth standing there. Elvis stand there with a big grin. I drop my smile. O_h wait did I smiling?_ And go to the nearby tree and sit against it.

"Hello."

"Hi."

Did Alaya informed me wrong, why did he do that. He said that I have assignment with Shirou Emiya, the man clad in red, and that's make me eager.

"Nice to work with you."

"Yeah."

Or did he changes his decision? He never does something like that before. Once Alaya makes a decisions he already certain that it is the best course of action. Or, did he trolled me?

"I wonder what kind of assignment given to us."

"Em."

Or did Emiya unable to go to this assignment and resign? That's unlikely but not impossible. Our soul is intact from outer worlds, but he can sick after an assimilation. Assimilate is a delicate technique as per I know but that is nearly impossible. Most guardians will stop assimilated after ten year, the longest one is twenty year. So that is impossible. Or maybe worse than that, he may counter a Heroic Spirits and go against it. If he does that, than he can be injured. Heroic spirit, just like us is a soul being, so we can hurt each other at a fundamental level. While meeting one is almost impossible, the chance itself is not zero. But wait if I remember correctly, he rarely given an assignment because his value and unique talent. So, it also impossible. Then what is going on?

I don't know what going on. But, I hope he only late and Elvis is here because today we have three person assignment. I hope it's only that.

Talking about Elvis, he for awhile has been trying to talk to me. But I have been ignoring him because I too preoccupied in my own thought. And now he is silent. But well, I don't really care.

Once again the space in front of us is distorted, and this time I know that it is him. I am sure this is not other person because this distortion is stained in red, the red of his holy shroud.

I stand and walk in front of it, right in front it. Waiting eagerly for his come, I keep smiling by myself. I don't know why but the thought of meeting him really make me happy.

After the distorted is calm, I see him there, standing like a tower. He is a tall person, really a tall person. His eyes and hair is silver and his skins is sweet brown. His face is handsome without any trace of race. He uses to be Asian, but that trace long gone now. His body is muscular not like a giant, but like a normal person.

I flustered at seeing him. Maybe this is what people called flying. I am trying to calm myself down. And then I realize, there is something wrong with him.

His gaze is hazy and unfocus. His face is red of sickness. He is sweating a lot even though we are just semi-physical. His breath is heavy and his stand is looses. He almost falls, but I stood up and hold him. I support him at his chest, but unfortunately to me our build is far too much different. So he is falling and I taken along by it, he pins me down to the ground. My cheek fluster, but I get a hold of myself. This is not time to flusters.

Rolling him around, I let him lie in the ground.

"Emiya, emiya."

I shake his body, trying to wake him up. I check his pulse, but there is nothing there. Fool me, we are not in a full physical body.

"Emiya, emiya, emiya, emiya, SHIROU."

I call him. He gives me no responses. Why, why, WHY? Why something has to be ended before it even started. I won't lose him, not now. Not now. NOT NOW.

"Shirou, shirou, shirou. SHIROU."

I shout at him.

"AAh, can't you please not shout at me. I am okay, so you don't need to worry."

He is talking in his sleep. Caress my cheek, he try to calm me down. And it works, I am not too work up anymore. 'He is fine, he is going to be fine', I try to tell myself. He rises up and takes himself near me. Kissing me at my lips, he then backs to sleep.

Eh, what just happen?

-Interlude-

It has been a long time since the last time I dreamed. As a soul, the states of sleeps itself is so rare happen to me. I often gone to slept-like states, but none of that is the actual sleep. So, sleeping and dreaming is something that has becomes so rare to me.

And I don't know how I feel about that particular dream. Nostalgic? Sure. Happy? I don't know. Time has long passes since the first time I see her, my lover. Even just in the dream, I sure am glad to see her. But our last meeting has gone far too worse to the point that can't be repaired. It's natural, I don't blame her. At least I want her to be happy after I am gone.

I open my eyes and look around me. I am at some kind of cave. A campfire has been lit near me. A stalactite and stalagmite have start grow in the deeper side of cave. And something soft is replacing pillow for my head. I know that it is not pillow because its softness is different from a regular pillow. Besides, this 'pillow' is warm.

I look up. A woman with blue eyes and blonde hair is sleeping there. So my pillow is her knee. Is her knee going to be okay? I don't know how much time has passes since I fainted. But it's not good for a woman body to keep still for a long period of time. She can go numb. But then again, most counter guardian choose not to materialize more humanic physical body then enough to do his job. Most of us won't recreate the sense of skin and nerve like pain, numb, and any other reaction. So I guess it's going to be okay, but there is no harm to make sure.

"Wake up."

I state in orderic manner. It needs at least two more shout and some seconds before she wakes up. She sure is love doing a pillow knee.

"Um, good morning Emiya."

"Yeah morning."

I said it with displeased, I don't really like to pillow-kneed by someone I barely know. Even though we have met before, we are not even friend yet. So, could you just please move me already.

"Sure do. But can you do me favor and trace some pillow and blanket, you shall not sleep in the ground."

I trace a blanket and pillow just like she said. My body is hard to move but my circuit is doing his job fine. Alaya, what the hell are you doing to me.

"Thank you." She said to me.

She replaced her knee with pillow and put the blanket on me. Then, she straightens her leg and crawl to opposite side of me. She sits down in the other side of campfire from me. Her leg is shaking, shaking so vigorously. It shouldn't be that ache, should it? Most guardians will not remake all the physical property after all.

"Hey, are your knee numbed?"

I ask her just to make sure. She looks at me and smiles. Now that I see her again I remember her. She is Virginia Dare, a counter guardian from America continent. She is the one who become my back up at my second assignment. She is strong and precious guardian. Even Alaya said that she is his precious, and I agreed with him in that aspect. There is not much back up type guardian to begin with, and she is the only one who has sorcerer-like power. Even I think her magical talent is rivaled even Caster. Even though she will probably loses if they fight head to head. Fighting is not her virtue.

"Yeah, it's numb and it is really hurts. But don't worry I can bear with it."

Looks like her physical body is more humanic than I thought.

"it is your own fault to make your physical body more human than enough. Bear with it."

I said it with animosity.

"I'll bear it. Thank you for worrying."

Huh, what is this woman thinking? Isn't she offended? I mock her.

She is just sitting there while seeing the campfire. She is smiling. Her knee is numb for root knows how much time has pass. But she is still smiling. I'll make mental note that she is maybe crazy.

"So, how long I have I fainted?"

I ask her. We have a week for preparation. I must know how much time till the execution.

"Roughly two days. You pass right after you came." Two days huh, not really much time has passes then. "That reminds me, what happened? Why are you sick?"

I too am wondering. I have no clear idea what's going on. Maybe it has something to do with my assimilation.

"I don't really know. Maybe it has something to do with my last assimilation?"

I said my suspicion to her. There is no need to hide it. His knowledge is far greater than me. She is the one who tell me about parallel world after all.

"Wait a second. You still have assimilation?"

She sound surprised? Is it that weird? I thought assimilation is common for a counter guardian.

"Yeah, why do you ask? It is normal right?" Yeah, assimilation is normal. But her face is saying otherwise. "Or it isn't, is it?"

She looks surprised as if my question is not normal. Yes, I must've been played by Alaya.

"Yeah, it's not normal. Most guardians usually stop assimilated after ten year, the longest one is fifty years. My last assimilation is around half a century ago."

What? Did I hear it right? Isn't her word wrong? So I suppose to be an irregular guardian who has been assimilated for almost seventy years. And her face is not indicating a lie at all. Uooh, Fuck you Alaya.

"May I ask something? How many times have you been assimilated?"

She suddenly asks me. I rolled my head and look at her. There are some kinds of worry in her face. Ah please, why do woman is so worry-some?

"Ninety seven, is it that much."

She looks hesitant to answer me. But I urge her to answer me with my look. Sorry, it's not time to dodge question.

"Yeah, the most one that I ever heard. Nobunaga, the strongest guardian that I know, only has 27 assimilation. But you? Now I wonder who is the strongest one, you or Nobunaga."

Why did she even asking that? Nobunaga Oda is the strongest one between us. No one can beat him. But then again, I too used to fight with someone stronger than me.

"Don't bother asking. He is a demon lord."

I answer him halfheartedly. Yeah, just don't bother asking. I too won't fight him if I don't have to. I look at her and wonder. She is thinking so deep. Hand on her chin, she swims in her own mind.

"What? Is there something else?"

If Alaya played again with me, I will damn kill him.

"Yeah, I am only thinking."

She mumbled it under her breath. Yeah I already see that.

"I can see that? What are you thinking?"

I have premonition, a bad premonition.

"Your reaction when you come here. Assimilate take a strain in your soul, it usually need two or three day to make your soul came to normal. If you take a physical body in that time frame you may have a fever-like symptom for two or three day. But your reaction is far too strong. You fainted when you come here. It's basically impossible. Hey, may I look into your soul?"

Her explanation is in teaching manner. But her last sentence is more of demands. Why did she want to take a peek into my soul. Should I really let her see it? Yeah I should, there is nothing I can loss from it. She may know what's wrong with me.

"Yeah sure, suit yourself!" I give her my acknowledgment. She says thank you and walk to my back. She rises me into sitting position.

"Err, can you please de-materialize your armor?"

She asks me in apologetic manner. I dematerialize my armor without noises. She kept silent for a second. I felt a cold hand touch my old wound, the wound from lancer from the fifth war. I have many wound from my life, but that wound alone is the only one which stays remain when I materialize my body. Well, I can't help it. Lancer's Gae Bolg is a cursed spear after all.

She caresses my wound for a time. I felt stung on my spine and straightening my back by impulses. Her hand is soft so different from my lover. And why now I make a comparison from her hand to my lover's hand?

I coughed, my cheek is fluster. I don't think it's a good idea to let it happens. She doesn't answer me. She only put both her hand to my back. I can feel a surge of energy slip into my body. It's her od. But I don't feel the od slip by my circuits. It's crawl directly from my skins to my heart. I don't push it out and let it slip by.

Her power slips into me for two minutes. Three minutes pass. Five minutes pass. And then I shout?

"Hey, are you finished already? Why do you keep silent?"

"Err nothing, your soul just too… amazing?"

I don't know what is she talking about. I don't really good with problem about soul. Better asks her what's going on.

"So, what is there?"

I can't see her face. But somehow I feel that she is hesitant to answer my question.

"Ok, sooo… the reason why you are faint after assimilation… is because… your new soul… is…"

Yeah, she sure hestitant.

"made from an apostle."

Ok, so my new soul is made from apostle. Apostle? APOSTLE! What the fuc-

"Yeah well basically it just my hypothesis."

Eh?

"Your new soul is more 'dirtier' than other soul. As far as I remember, the only chance for that kind of things to happen is one. Your other counter-part has become an Apostle and thus his soul is so different from yours. Well, there can be other theory. But that is the only conclusion I know." Fuck you Alaya. "I don't know why Alaya do this. He doesn't usually do something like this."

I snorted, "isn't that clear. He is a sadist after all."

She stare at me in bewildement. She smirked, and then she laughed, laughed so loud.

"Hahahaha… Haah… you maybe right. He is really a sadist."

I maybe laugh with her, if only I am not the victim from it.

"Anyway, you should sleep. You can't do anything in this condition after all. And yes, I will tell you if I need something."

Why she thinks that I will do something if she needs it. Well, it's true though.

She steps away from my back and I materialize my armor without my Holy Shroud. That thing is unneeded now. She stands beside me and I look up at her. She smiled, put her hand on my shoulder, and slam me to the ground.

"Hey, I am the one sicks here."

"Yeah, you are."

She smiled from high vintage. Uuh, I really hate low vintage.

-Interlude-

Elvis Preasley walks in the middle of a city under the morning light. He uses the cloth that usually use by people of this city. A shirts, pant, and lab coat. Yup, most people in this city is using a lab coat. It's not because they are fancy of a lab coat or have some kind of mad scientist syndrome. Nope, they are not a person who will suddenly shout Al Psy Congro all day around, the world only need one kind of that people. He use it simply because most persons in this city is a researcher.

About 70% residents in this city is a researcher or people who has connection to research like police, supplier, and rat lab. The other 30% is people who take role to support the researcher everyday life like chef, driver, and other trivial job. Researcher in this big facility is come from all around the world. America, Japan, Russia, Iran, English, Netherland, France, South Africa, Arab, China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, name a country there must be someone from it.

The researcher in this city doesn't work to different research lab. They work to this city itself. That may sounds absurd, but that is the truth. Various field of research exist in this city. Astronomy, Robotic, Biology, Neurology, Nuclear, Geology, name it and you will hear it. This city is a one big laboratory with all purpose hidden behind it, military purpose, health, etc, etc.

Some researcher may have complaint about other research. But they know not to disturb it. Because 'never touch hand to other invention' is one of the basic rule of this city.

This city is a nameless city. Most people who know about its existence call it Research City. It's place in the middle of Russia. At its north is a hill, wasteland at the east, and forest at the south and west. This city is unrecorded and undetected. The leader of this city has takes same precaution to keep this city nameless.

They have some rule and protocol to do. They never sell their invention in first hands. They never announce their most advance invention to outer world. And they will use some chemical reaction to erase a man memory if they come across this city.

Usually if this condition is go on, there will be some people who raise their voice of disappointment. But uniquely, there is no such thing in this city. Everyone live in a harmony. They got food, they got home. All the thing they wish with the right amount of it. They do research simply because there are research to do, a perfect example of scientist.

Many researchers all around the world have heard about the rumor of such city. But need an extraordinary skill to know where it is. Well, that and maybe some friend who work here.

This city also has many facilities outside research. They do have restaurant, park, mall, church, mosque, temple. They do not have a night club, but they do have prostitute in some back alley. And the weird thing is they don't have a school. All parents will grow up the children by themselves. Self teaching, home schooling, they are kind of people who doesn't believe a formal education. After they child grow up enough to decide what they want to learn, they will study under wing of other researcher of those field. This style of teaching is good, and this city is the proof himself. Of course there are people from outside this city.

People come to this place because many reason. Lack of fund, too much restriction from their country, disappointment of their country, there are so many reason for it. And yeah, this place is a heaven for a researcher.

While walking in that kind of city, Elvis spot an ice cream stands. He goes there while thought that one or two refreshment won't hurt him. He put his hand on his pocket, grabbing his money which just newly made.

He orders a strawberry ice cream, and then a girl with eyeglass also visits it.

"A chocolate one please."

Elvis looks at the girl besides her. She is cute. Her figure is slender, and her assets is great. A perfect girl if one should say.

"Hi."

"Hi."

She answers him with disinterest. A fast topic, a fast topic.

"Where are you working for?"

"At a neurology lab."

"Well, really? That's cool. I work for geology lab."

"Really, I used to want to work for a geology lab. But my parents are against it."

"Really? What a coincidence." A bad coincidence.

"Yeah, so what are you research about? Mineralogy? Geo Thermal? Petrology? Paleontology? Or some other fields? I once want to study Geo Thermal. The idea to uses earth thermal to make some energy is just so fascinating. Imagine how much energy you can have for a day, imagine how much house you can lit for a day. It is really fantastic. Of course we have to think about the earth, we can't kill earth in the process of using its energy after all. But, then again everything has solutions. And ah, I also write a paper about mineralogy last time, I−"

Elvis has lost track at the middle of her words.

"On second thought, I have some research on the field. So if you excuse me." Luckily for him the ice cream comes at the same time.

He heard the woman voice from her back. But he ignores it. He makes a mental note to never try to hit a nerd, NEVER. HIT. A. NERD.

-Interlude-

"How is your work?"

I ask Elvis who come from his works. Emiya is still lying down in his bed.

"I am done, I already use my _Heavenly Song_ for two days. So you can consider it done already."

"Fair enough."

Emiya says under his blanket.

"You should sleep."

"Yeah, I should, but I can't."

Why did he so stubborn. Of course he can sleep in his physical body if he thought about it. The only reason he can't sleep is because he won't.

"Elvis, take a shift to protect Emiya. I need some air."

"Huh, why me? Emiya is strong enough to repel anything that go near him."

"Yeah, he is. If he is in normal condition. Unfortunately right now, he is not in normal condition. So you should protect him if some animal go near him."

I said it with displeasure. Can he just do it already? Damn it.

"With what? I don't have a weapon. Do you tell me to hit the animal with my guitar. Hell no I will do that."

"He can trace you a weapon."

"Look, he can trace a weapon. Why should I protect him?"

"Ouuhh, why did you be such a jack-ass. Can you just protect him?"

I growl, and why did he so reluctant to do so. It's a simple matter to protect him.

"Sorry, but I need to sleep. I have been up for 48 hours."

"And you will be just find, we don't need a sleep after all."

"And so did Emiya."

"Yes, usually, but he is sick now. And he is vulnerable."

"Yeah, but-"

"Elvis."

Emiya suddenly talk from under her bed. Now a sword and blanket are at each of his hands.

"Can you do me a favor and just do what she says. Don't worry you can get your part of sleep." I just glare at him. He forgets to say something. "and yes, I will definitely get some sleep."

"Make sure you do it. Otherwise, I'll make you sleep by force."

I said it to him harshly. My words have to be drilled into his brain for him to understand.

"By sleeping him."

Elvis giggle when he says it. I only give him my stare and he shuts up.

"It's fine Virginia, I will sleep."

"Fine." I said it reluctantly and walk out from the cave. In my back even though I don't see it I know that Emiya give Elvis the blanket and sword.

I stroll at the middle of forest. Our base, cave, is at the south of the city. I walk to the northwest, strolling in the forest of fallen leaf.

I just walk, and walk and keep walking, trying to get my annoyance out of my heads. Emiya has been awakes for almost twelve hours. He should been slept and she has told him to do that. But he doesn't listen to me. Why did he so damn stubborn. He should just listen to me.

"Dare."

When I occupied by my own thought, some familiar voice call my name from my back.

"Alaya."

I turn around and see Alaya there. He uses his man incarnation now.

"About your mission."

"Yeah, I know. In and kill right? Leave no one behind. Pretty much the same when Emiya takes the role."

Alaya nods. He doesn't need to explain anything because I already understand it. Even though it's bitter, it is the reality that 90% of Shirou Emiya's mission is consist of massacre of human being. It's bitter, but there is nothing I can do.

"Then, can you give me the reason why did they are being targeted to give to Emiya latter? I can't see any reason to target that city. I can't sense any magi in that city. Potential magi? Yes. Real magi? Absolutely not. And I still believe in my own detection skill than yours."

He only stares at me with a slight sign of amazement. He is an expressionless person, but lately he has shows some faint emotion.

"Do you know that that's city is researching weapon?"

"No, not concretely. But yeah, I can see that come. Such a big facility, it's hard to not have some military related matter."

He nods and stares at the city.

"Right now that city is doing a research at biological weapon. The research itself is still in development phase. We shall not let they research it further. Such virus will kill human easily when it finishes."

He said it grimly, see he do have emotion even though it is really faint.

"Okay, enough with the excuses. Why don't you use counter force then?" it is only a hypothesis, but usually it is unneeded to use counter guardian to attack a mundane city.

"I have use them, but it's failed. This city is just to secluded. And it's director has taken many precaution steps for his own death scenario?"

"What, really is he that good? What kind of precaution that he has? Heir?"

It's very rare for a normal person to take such a precaution. They usually just think and belief that the world will go as they wish, such a thinks is fool and the fact that their leader have a precaution steps mean that he must be very talented person.

"No, it's the same with Touko Aozaki case when she dies."

"Wh- how can he do that?"

I know Touko Aozaki, even though we never meet before Alaya already tell me some people I must take a caution when I meet them. Touko Aozaki is one of them. A genius among magi, Touko speciality is in puppet. She has receives a sealing designee in every timeline. She has one precaution in case that she dies. She makes a puppet exactly like her, with the some ability and some personality. So when she dies her soul will move from the old container to the new one. You can say that she is an immortal.

"Well, you know what they say about magecraft."

What they say about magecraft. I mutter it to myself and try to remember what it is. 'everything that can be done by science and technology can be reproduce by magecraft. Thus, such things are called magecraft, not a real magic.' If everything that can be done by science can be reproduce by magecraft, then otherwise is work too. Everything that can be done by magecraft can be reproduces by science.

"Human sure is strong."

I said it with delight. It is a praise for humanity. They have take steps to be considered as strong as magi. I guess it will take not a long time till time travel can be done. I giggle, human sure are strong.

"Okay, then my question."

I change my persona, and ask him seriously. There is no kidding in this question.

"What are you doing with Shirou Emiya."

-Interlude-

I sleep silently under the blanket and stare blankly at the cave ceiling. Twenty minutes has pass since Virginia walk away talking a stroll. In those time frames I have questioned Elvis about his job before he goes to sleep.

Elvis already do his job. With his_Heavenly Song_**,** he already attracted anyone who has some kind of connection of this city to care about it to come here. That way will make it easier to eliminate everyone in one place. And because the people who attracted to it is only those who have connection to it, I will do more effective killing. I gulp my saliva when I think about it, time sure has changes me.

And so, I have spent twenty minutes of my time to stare idly at the cave's ceiling. Useless thing, but it has its own price. Dare already told me to get some slept, but I just can't do that. My body is too tense to sleep. Looks like the only reason that I able to sleep before is because I sick. Well, there is no reason for me to sleep anyway.

And thus, I spent my time while looking at unchanging and unentertaining ceiling.

Minute pass, Two minute, three minute, five minute, ten minute, and then I hear a footstep from outside. At first I consider it as sign of enemy, but then I put that thought away when I realize that it is Dare's footsteps.

The first thing that she do when she go inside is looking at me.

"You are not sleeping Emiya."

I hate low vintage.

"At least I am trying."

She only sighs when I said it. Seriously, I want to sleep as much as you want me to sleep. But I can't, my body is too tense.

"Well, at least I can give you Alaya words faster."

My demeanor change when I hear his name. I become colder. I am not as friendly to Alaya as she is.

"What did he says?"

Virginia walk away and sit against cave wall beside me, and then Virginia told me everything that Alaya says, about the biological research, a wary-some leader, but I can see that she is hiding something from me.

"You hide something, don't you?"

"No." she shakes his head when denying my question.

"Then, please tell me about their protection protocol."

She stares at me blankly at tilt her head. "Should I ask something like that?"

"Yeah, you should. Wait, you didn't ask it?"

I ask her in bewilderment.

"Ah, I didn't ask him."

I growl, "how can you be so fool. Ahh, okay so you listen to me. Information is important thing. The outcome of one war can be determined with some pieces of information. We can assure one safety plus win with information. And hold my words, fighting with information is winning a war, fighting without it? It is called suicide." I said it to her while angry. But she only smiles because of my words.

"And why do you smile?"

"Ah no, nothing."

Even after my spat she is still smiling. I don't understand why she do that. Oh wait, I already make a mental note that she is a crazy woman.

"But, you can think like this." She says to me in amusement, I don't know what she wants to say. "This city is modern city. Base on what Alaya said and what I felt, there are no magus in this city. So you can asses this city power just like any other military force outside the world. In best case scenario it is like some developed country military force and in the worst case scenario it is like American blacks op task force, and hey you can kill both of them."

I nod at her, what she says make sense.

"This city is a big research facility, so yeah you can expect to meet with one or two of their big bad toys. But yeah, what differ them from some magi."

I look at her, what she says make sense and I agree with her. But, somehow it just doesn't feel right. Like there are some pieces of puzzle which persistently keep hidden under the table. And the bigger picture won't form in front of me.

"Okay, so that is it?"

"Yeah that is it."

She confirms my question. Well, if she doesn't have anymore information it can't be help.

"Well then, let's talk about strategy."

I spend the rest of my time to make a reasonable strategy. Just a simple one, the usual in and kill. We don't need a grand strategy or battle formation in this mission.

"Good enough, I will follow your order."

She nods, sign of her acknowledgment to my strategy.

"Okay then, you have to sleep."

She asks me the same thing again and again. I wonder why woman sometime is so persistent. I can't sleep isn't that enough for her.

"Sure, I will if you want to pat my head." Of course I am just joking when I say it. There is no way she wants to do that.

She shrugs, "fine then." And then walks toward me.

"Err, I am just joking." I said it to her. Really there is no need to take it so seriously.

She is still walking toward me in silent. Then she sits down beside me, lift my head, and put it on her knee. The pillow which I made disperses in the air. Somehow I can see Elvis smirking in his place.

"You know right that I am just joking." I ask her with hope that she doesn't do what I think will she does.

"I know you enough Emiya," she said to me with deep emotion "to tell that you wish in your joke." I don't understand what she says. She caresses my head slowly and her hand really calms me down.

"You may never realize it, but I know you more then you know. So, I will pat your head until you sleep, and yeah maybe some time after it." She said it with a happy smile. Somehow it makes me thinking of something that I never had in my previous life. It reminds me of mothers warm, something that I never have in my previous life.

Who is the last one who caresses my head again? Ah yeah, it is my lover.

She kisses my forehead and that make me fluster. "So good night Emiya, you should sleep well." She didn't use hypnotic didn't she? Because somehow I feel sleepier, and sleepier. I know that she didn't use it, but I can't help to wonder. Her existence makes me calmer and calmer and that make me want to sleep. Ah, I guess there is no harm of sleeping.

I put my thought away and close my eyelids. And in the end, I sleep.

-Interlude-

Jacob is former researcher of Research City. He born there and raise there, but now he works as their distributor and has home in Moscow. He has family, one wife and two children. They live in an aparment, a normal apartment, but enough for them to life.

He swims through the document of his lass deal. They sold some kind of vaccine to some pharmacy enterprise, and their deal go surprisingly good. The vaccine that they sell is not the most advance one, in fact it is the most old one. But even so, it is valuable in outside world.

Then he hear his phone ringing, he took it and see it. There is no one who call or mail him.

"Honey, dinner is ready."

His wife voice calls him from dinning room. It's 8.30, their usual dinning time.

"Right away honey."

He puts his phone down, cleans his document, and then goes to the dinning room.

Their dinner is normal one just like the usual. Johannes will plays with his food and then Sasha will scolds him for it. They usually have a chat while dinning. Some people may thing that it is bad manner. But for them, it is a good bonding time. So, with that in mind, Jacob brought up something that he has been thought for awhile.

"Honey, how about we visit my home town."

His wife shocks when she heard his words. It is really rare for him to bring up topic about his hometown. Alisa knows that his husband is part of a secret research facility and she never thinks much about it. They happy and that is what matter. But somehow it makes her sad that such thing make distance between her and their parents-in-law. She really wants to talk with her husband parents and their children have to meet with their grandparent too.

"Will we visit grandpa?" Sasha asks her father with amusing eyes. She only once met with her grandfather, but that meeting really leaves a trace in her heart. Well, he is doting his grandchild too much after all.

"Yeah we will." Her father nods to her question.

"How long?" Johannes asks, his eyes contain unwillingness, but she also can see anticipation in it.

"How about one week?"

"How about school?" that is the first thing that Alisa asks. His husband sure doesn't thing that absent a week from school is a good thing.

"Well grandpa can teach them better than any school. And I also can teach them at least as good as their schools." She nods, that is right. He and his parent is better than any teacher that she knows.

"Okay then, I will packs our luggage after dinner." His husband smile when she says this.

"Thanks honey, we will go tomorrow."

"Hurray." Their children are shouting when they hear that.

Sasha smiles when she knows that they will see their grandparents tomorrow. But there is something in corner of her mind that keeps bugging her. Something along the line of, it's weird, isn't it too sudden, and why did mom just agree to her father without much resistance. But she puts that think away. Why bother? She thinks.

-Interlude-

Professor Budi slams his document to his desk and buries himself in his chair. He put off his glass and pinching his nose bridge. This kind of problem is always shows up when I make a research. He thinks.

He sees the document that he slams while ago. That is a proposal to government for funding to his research. His research is about alternative electricity generator. He always belief that earth is constantly makes an energy in the atmosphere. It's not oxygen or some other air chemical resistance but a more pure energy. He has decided to call it Grin. He doesn't know why, but he feels that the name is fit it greatly.

He already spent his ten years to do research about Grin and its application in human technology. He does that with his limited time and limited fund. He didn't get any fund either from government or university. They said that his research is a day dreaming. But he now can prove it and able to produce energy from it. And so, government has decides to give him the fund that he wants. But then, the actual problem raises. The usual annoying problem.

Bribe, he is asked to give some of his money to some sect of government. And like the usual, one part doing it and other part following it. And now, he left with barely money to continue his research.

"I can't believe that human has fallen this far."

He sighs. He doesn't know anymore what will he does, what he _can_ do. He opens his desk and look into it. There is lying an old phone which has been late of age for several decades. That phone is specially designed to just able to contact one number. His old dear friend from Scotland. Well, right now his friend is not in Scotland anymore.

He picks it and stares at it. Will I do it? He questioned himself. Will I betray my country? Professor Budi is trapped in loophole.

Decided that his country has betray him too much he press the dial number. This phone will only call to one number, his old friend, Michael.

"Hello Budi."

Michael's sounds with his distinct Scottish English resound from the other side of the phone. For a second, Prof. Budi feels really nostalgic.

"Hi Michael, how are you?"

Budi answer his greeting with his distinct Indonesian English. His dialect is not thick anymore, but it is still lingering there.

"Fine, just like usual I should say. Some of my students is really talented person and they even make a new theory I don't think about. It's something about earth energy. They call it Gin."

Budi flinch when he hears it. He knows that Research City is the most advance research facility in the world. But he can't believe there are already other persons who know about Grin.

"So, how are you? Still feel comfortable in Indonesia? When will you come here buddy?"

"About that actually, I think that I will go there sooner than I thought."

"Really?"

Michael sound surprised when he says it. For a long time, Budi has declined his offer to come over there. With nationality reasons, he just can't leave Indonesia easily.

"No more the crap about nationality?"

"The Government has hurt me more than enough to be handled by me. If only they are slightly better than this, I will probably stay. But, they has fallen too far." Yeah, there is nothing more that he can hope from his government.

"Don't be sad buddy. I know you have a very high nationality and I respect that side of you. But we are scientist, it doesn't matter where we do the research. What matter is the research itself."

Yeah, since the beginning that he decided to take the phone that Michael gives to him he knew that sooner or later he will bid farewell to his country. And now is that time.

"Yeah, you are right. I will go there as soon as possible."

"You better do that, actually why don't you come tomorrow. I will buy you the ticket and we will send you one of our drivers."

He thinks about Michael offer. There is a pro and con for such an act, he still has class for tomorrow to attend. But, there is no harm trying.

"I will try, but don't have too much hope."

"Fine. But I feel that you will come tomorrow. And you know, my feeling is always right."

It's a weird thing for a scientist to believe in something like intuition. But the weird thing is that Michael feeling is really always right.

"Fine, you handle the ticket."

"Sure I will."

"Thank Michael."

"Welcome buddy, oh how about your wife?"

Budi smile weirdly when he hears his question.

"I am single."

"Oh, that a shame," there a pause in his sentence. "hey you are a moslem right?"

"Yeah." Budi nods weakly.

"So you don't want to have a girlfriend right?"

"Yeah." He answers again.

"So you want to go straight into marriage right?"

"Yeah," it turns out weird. "Why do you asking this Michael?"

"Actually there is one of my students who is a moslem. And she is quite a believer, I think you two will be good together?"

"And why do you think like that?" somehow, he already knew his friend's answer.

"It's my feeling." Right, he and his feeling.

"Fine, at least I will meet with her parents. If everything went smoothly I guess I will married by the end of weeks." Of course he only jokes.

"Yes, you are right. Hey, that is five days again."

"Yup, five days again."

Michael growls, "you sure play your card fast. You sure that you are still a virgin?"

"Hey, we, moslem, doesn't hate sex. We hate unresponsible sex. And why do you think most moslem in the old day married at earlier age."

"Yeah, yeah, we already discuss it at the old day. And we already hit the conclusion. Oh, I have to go. My students want to have an experiment about Gin."

"Oh wait, one more words."

"What?" Michael sounds a little peevish, looks like he really has expectation to his students works. Budi can only smiles when he imagines his face.

"When I got there, your students will be under my wing!" He said it confidently.

"Wait, what? Why do you want to steal my student?" He confuses, Michael not really has an objection if Budi want to take his student under his wing. But, he doesn't understand why he says it with so much confident.

"Your student study about the Grin right?"

"Yeah, the energy that linger in the air which come from the earth."

"I already discover it."

"What?"

"Eheem.." budi can't see it, but he believe that Michael shook his head when he humming.

"No way, you already discover it? Alone?"

"Ehem."

"With your government funding."

"With my personal funding actually."

"Impossible, you by yourself? Budi you know what, you are damn genius." He said it with high tension.

"Thank you." He sincerely thanks Michael. He is the first person to praise him for his discovery.

"And you know what, I think that you will married Aysyah the next day you come here."

"Aysyah?"

"The students whom I talk about."

"I don't think that will go that easily." Budi himself is only joking when he says that he will married at the end of week. Life is not as easy as novel.

"Yeah, say that to yourself you damn lucky bastards. I will help you with her parents. You can send me your last photo to me in the usual email address."

"Fine, I'll do just that." He sighs, he doesn't really understand why his friend is so high tension.

"Ok, so then I have to go. Oh yeah, should I tell my students to stop their experiment." He asks him sincerely, but he thinks for a while. Considering the pro and con.

"Continue with it, it will be nice to have much data."

"Okay, then. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

He presses the red button when their conversation end. To be honest, their conversation has gone to all weird direction. At first he only want to discuss the pro and con to left his country, and then he heard that Michael's student has discovered the same energy with him, and then somehow he now has a woman which may be want to be his wife. It is a really weird conversation, but somehow he doesn't regret it. Somehow he believes that his decision is going to a right way.

Budi turn on his computer and think for a while. He is an orphan without any relative in this world, his mother died when she is born him and his father died two years ago. He is now alone in this world, he doesn't have a wife yet because he is too busy with his research and his father condition.

'_I wonder whether my single is because this one woman is my fateful one.'_ He smiles when he thinks about it. He is not one hundred percent sure about it. But then again, there is no harm for trying.

He opens his email box and writes email to Michael, at first he considers to send only his photo until he remember something. He remembers that thing that he writes when he is a college student at Harvard. He open his draft, the last place he remember to save it, and found it. His marriage proposal.

He downloads it and rewrite it for a bit. Many things has changes since college and it will only keep changing. After it done, he uploads it and sends it to Michael. He smiles by himself when it's done. Destiny sure are weird things.

He shut down his computer, packs up his file and all his belonging. Lock the door he go out from this room. This will be the last time he visit this office.

At the night after he prays. He dreamt a woman, a very beautiful woman. He doesn't know her name, but he believes that she is his destiny.

-Interlude-

"Come here you little fairy." Her grandparent says it while he lift Sasha high. It has been a long time since the first time they come. He really misses his child and grandchild.

After that, he gives his greeting to his son and his daughter-in-law. Then he look at their back, he can't see their car.

"Where are your car?"

"Oh, the tire is blow up so I have to left it in my way."

"Ah, it's a shame. Well, you can use my car if you want to go home. For now, you all are my prisoner." He said this while he kisses her grandson in his left hand.

After that they spend their weeks at Research City. They never feel bore or disturbs. There is always something that piques their interest, something that make they won't go out from that city.

And so they feel too comfortable in this city. With no one actually asking why they are here, or when will they go back. Those thought just never crosses their mind

-Interlude-

This weeks has gone really hectic for Budi. He decides to leave Indonesia because his government has become a nuisance for him. He doesn't really think about his visa. He only go with visiting visa. That doesn't really matter for him, because his destination is a city that out of world's regulation. He will work and live there and for outside world, he is the same as dead.

And the next day, he has a woman who wants to marry him. She is a researcher just like him and she is the team leader which study about Gin. He doesn't really think much about it, rather he is feel bless about it. He is old now, 34 years old. So sometimes he is wondering why a woman as young as her want to marry him. But he already makes sure that she is marrying him because her own will and not forced by anyone. And her parents agree with her. It may sounds absurd, but they said that they believe their daughter decision. It's really weird, he want to think like that. But he only believes that it is a miracle.

And then, the next day he marries her. Her father as her guardian is the one who marrying him with her. He give her al-Qoran and an antique sword asks his brideprice. She herself doesn't ask for anything. But he persuade her to let him at least gave her these two things. Her mother act as her witness, and Michael act as my witness since I doesn't have any relative anymore. We don't hold a party, because they doesn't have time and they think that such thing is too extravagant. And he hates to admit it, but his friend is right. He practically marries her the next day that he come here.

And now, she is sleeping peacefully besides him. He caresses her face carefully to not wake her up. They are just married yesterday, and now his heart beats faster than anything in this world. In his heart, Budi really grateful that he has come to this place. This is my destiny, he thought.

-Interlude-

"How are the preparation?"

I ask Virginia who has been working in her bounded fields since this morning. This is their sixth day here and his condition has been better day by day. At first he wonders why Alaya sends him since the first day, and then he shrugs it off by thinking that his job is to arrange this team.

"Good, all the factor has been in. I have put my first layer on the city. No one will have any will to come out as long as the bounded field is still up."

Virginia says it while throwing some food to the campfire. It's already night and we have a humanic body more human than a normal guardian. No wonder she will get cold. I trace a blanket and throw it to her. It covers half his body when I throw it.

"Thanks."

She thanks me than fix his blanket position. I only stare at her blankly while sit against cave's wall. Elvis now at the city, doing some reckoning. When I ask while he really wants to do reckoning he only says that he is tired of our loved dovey action, I evade his statement when he says it. But he doesn't really care and go to the city at this evening. And now is already night, he probably doesn't come back till the morning.

It doesn't really a problem since the operation start at nine tomorrow morning.

"..ey, hey, hey." Someone has calling me for awhile, but I don't realize it till now.

I straightening my neck and look at the only other person in this cave. Huh, Dare is not in the place where he was.

"Hey."

I startle when I realize that Dare is right beside me. Her face is only five centimeter away from me.

"What?"

I ask her, I don't really like when a woman go near me.

"You owe me one?"

"Owe you what?"

I ask in bewilderment, as far as I know she did nothing to me. Or, she did a lot to me actually.

She stare me sharps, her face practically saying 'You can't possibly forgot what I have done to you.'

"Fine, what you want?"

I give up and let she gets what she wants, whatever it is.

"I only want to sleep."

While saying that she put her head at my leg. I let her sleep and fix her blanket. I caress her head just like she always does to me for the entire week. It's a simple matter of pay my bill.

That night end idly with Dare sleep at my leg.

-Interlude-

The next morning we are gather at the forest. Two hours has pass since the sun rising. The air is still cold, my body shivers lightly. The humanic reaction that this body has. I rest my body against nearby tree and cross my hands. I am waiting for Virginia to finish placing her bounded field and Elvis to come back.

Not long after that Elvis comes back. He says something along the line like 'horrible night', 'I miss my old body'. I snorted and then say, "blame yourself to make a deal with Alaya."

"Yeah, you are right there." Elvis only answer it nonchalantly. He already knows that fact, and yeah, he does regret it.

"And I don't even know you in my life." I shrug my shoulder.

I never hear Elvis name in my previous life. Raiga oldman maybe know, but we never talk about music when we met.

"Really, uooh." He growl, "now I more and more regretting it."

I only shrug when I hear this. There is nothing else that needed to say, so we spend our time waiting for Dare to come. He is humming while waiting, while I only stand still against tree.

Dare come about ten minutes later. Her face is stern like any other soldier.

"Okay then."

I raise my body to perfect stand.

"You know what the plan right."

They only nod when I say this, we already discuss about our plan five days ago. It is just a simple plan. Elvis will erect his bounded field ten kilometer away from Dare's bounded field to prevent anyone or anything to get into the city. Dare who has already place her bounded field around the city and the wasteland, Alaya said to do that, he said that there are facility beneath the wasteland in the east, will go in with me as back up. And I, I will do all the killing.

"Let's move."

We run to our own destination, I and dare go to the city while Elvis go to his own parameter. She says nothing when we run. As nonchalantly as she is, she is not someone who treats this as children play. She doesn't have battle experience in her lifetime, but her life as Counter Guardian has drilled some battle manner into her head.

I arrange my run's rhythm to be as fast as Dare. If I could, I really want to just walking to the city, but looks like I can't do that, Alaya's curse has went into play.

We arrive several minutes later at the edge of the forest. We can see the city from here, it only need ten minute walk from here to the city. We stop here and then wait for Elvis to finish his works. From here I can smell Dare barrier, it is smell like a forest, the smell of grass and tree. It makes me relax.

"So how will you do it?"

We already discuss the battle plan and the role of each member. But I never tell him how will I do my part.

"Just wait and see."

I decline her curiosity because I think that it is useless.

"Fine." She only agree with me without many refusal.

We wait here for a quite long time. It's hard to cover ten kilometer fast. He needs his own times. I only rest my back against a tree and glance at the city when I wait, while Virginia only stands and sometime glances at me. I don't really like the way she looks at me.

"What, do you need something?"

"No, nothing."

I don't really know what there in her head.

Thirty minutes later Elvis already finish his job. I glance at Virginia and she nods to me. We go to our own position.

I will go attract their attention from the south while Virginia will infiltrate the city from the southeast. We can afford to let her discovered just at the beginning of the fight, and so I walk to the city.

The south border of this city is a normal street with some home standing here. There are also facilities in here and there. The architect of this city is a simple one. They put lab in everywhere they can and then put some house complex between it. I think there are some reason to put the lab in particular place, like near to the forest, far from the city, etc etc etc. I don't really understand it, and it doesn't really matter to me now.

I step in the city through south's main road. Now I am already in the city, they don't have a wall that part they city with outer world like a fortress. But they have surveillance camera in all city's corner. So, right now I am already known to them.

"Trace on"

I trace two swords in both my hand. It is not the usual swords that I use, Kansho and Bakuya. But it is the swords that used by King of Uruk in the last holy grail war, Enki. I don't really like this swords, it is too light and I already too use to Kansho and Bakuya as my two handed swords style. But these swords is useful to me as a bow.

I put the swords together hilt by hilt and trace Caladbolg II. I pour my prana into it and make it Broken Phantasm. I nock it to Enki and aim at the largest building near me. Enki as a bow can strengthen any holy swords that I use as an arrow. So Caladbolg will blow stronger then it should, and a strong blow is the thing that I need right now.

I fire my arrow to a bunker-like building two kilometer away from me. Its blast shakes the ground beneath me. Feel that it's not enough, I nock another Caladbolg. I fire it and hit another bunker-like building.

I let go my bow and let it disperse in the air. I look at the nearest surveillance camera and throw Dirk toward it. Then I walk further in the city. In distance I can hear scream and sound of sirin. Looks like this city has its own evacuation protocol.

I stand in the middle of streets, waiting for this city soldier to come.

They come two minutes later. They are fast, but I know from what I look that they aren't professional, developed country task force then.

They make a barrier with their shield, "put your hands on the air!" one of them shout it to me. Fool, there is no way I would do that, you should just shot me on the spot.

I only stare at them, and they know that I will never do what they demand. They readied their gun, "AIM!." And aim it at me, "READY!" and that is my signal.

I reinforce my leg and run toward them. Our distance is not too far so I arrive fast. When they want to shot, it already finishes for them.

I am now at their back. I trace a halberd, the halberd which use by Einzbern Homunculus, and alters it slightly to be better as swing weapon. I grip the halberd at its edge. I reinforce my hand to handle it better. I pull it into a swing motions, they only start to react when I my swing is halfway. "God." One of them mutter it. If only there are God in this world.

I swing the Halberd, from left to the right, to them, one swing and their body has cut into half. Blood splashes everywhere, I too am soaks because of it. I let go the Helberd and let it disperse into the air. Their body is now lump in the ground, there is no trace of humanity there.

I stare to city and said it, "Now, what else you can give me." In mocking tone.

-To be continue-

**Firstly, thanks for the review for the previous chapter. Yeah, I write this because there is someone who read it.**

**Secondly, I would like to ask how did you find this Shirou, or EMIYA? OOC or Weird? Opinion is welcome because I didn't really know how did Shirou seems in your eyes, guys.**

**So, when I first think about 'trait from humanity' I think about Academy City. Well, you can't deny Academy City's strong, and well, Level Five esper could go against magi just well. Hell, Shirou will probably be butcher by Accelerator, and I always wonder why Accelerator couldn't do vector change to some magic component. All he needs to do is to include it to his equation. The only one he should be wary from Type-Moon verse is Ryougi Shiki.**

**Well, enough for my rumble. Point it out if you have any complaint. And yeah, it is a shame that I can't write a comedy. #shrug**

**Next chapter will be filled with Fighting Scene and the thing that left behind from prologue. What can you expect from fighting between Magic and Science? Honestly, I don't really know.**

**Btw, I stop writing about Budi and Aysyah because when I start write it, it become so complex. And hey, we don't need other particle in this story. **

**And for the last, thanks for reading.**


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